In the neon-lit sprawl of New Eridu, a veteran Proxy named Rin often paused at her video store terminal and remembered the autumn of 2024. That was when Zenless Zone Zero Version 1.2, "Tour de Inferno," roared onto every screen. The update brought new characters, Caesar and Burnice, and with them a fresh wave of Hollow dangers. But for Rin, the most memorable part was not a boss fight or a new Drive Disc. It was the Version 1.2 Strategy Guide Contest, a community event that asked Proxies to share their hard-won knowledge.

The contest opened on September 25, 2024, at 10:00 (UTC+8) and closed on November 3, 2024, at 23:59. Judging ran from November 4 to November 18, and winners were announced on November 19 at 18:00. A milestone reward of Polychrome ×30 was promised to all Proxies if valid submissions reached 1,000. Rin remembered how the community rallied, posting guides, commenting, and liking each other's work. The judging, she learned, considered content quality, comments, likes, and other factors.

The prizes were dazzling. Rin still had the table saved in her notes:

Tier	Winners	Rewards
Exceptional Proxy	5	Polychrome ×5,000 + Random Acrylic Character Stand ×10 + Random Character Badge ×3 + Fridge Magnet Collection - Bangboo ×1 + Avatar Frame (90 days)
Senior Proxy	10	Polychrome ×2,000 + Random Acrylic Character Stand ×4 + Random Character Badge ×3 + Fridge Magnet Collection - Bangboo ×1 + Avatar Frame (90 days)
Rising Star Proxy	50	Polychrome ×1,000 + Random Acrylic Character Stand ×1 + Random Character Badge ×2 + Avatar Frame (90 days)

The avatar frame itself became a badge of honor. Rin would later see it glow beside names in the community, a small digital crown for those who had helped others.

There were five categories, and Rin had to choose carefully. Street tours, Upgrade Guides, and Bangboo Upgrades were for newcomers. Agent Guides covered skill analysis, upgrade materials, W-Engines, and Drive Discs. Commission Guides collected experience from tricky jobs. Hollow Guides tackled Rally Commissions, Hollow Zero, and Shiyu Defense. Event Guides focused on limited-time events and arcade mini-games. If a guide did not fit, it went to #Other Guide#. Rin chose #Agent Guide# and began drafting a piece about Caesar's shield and Burnice's scorching off-field damage.

The rules were strict but fair. Submissions had to be uploaded during the submission period through the specified methods. Titles needed the structure "#Category Name# + Summary of guide content," like "#Agent Guide# Anby Optimal W-Engine Selection and Squad Composition." Text-only and text-image guides needed at least 500 characters, including text inside images. Images had to be official, in-game screenshots, or original creations; GIFs were allowed. Video guides had to be self-made, longer than 5 minutes, at least 720p, and include the phrase "This video is a Strategy Guide Contest submission" in the description. Plagiarism was forbidden. Deleting a submission during the event could invalidate participation. Winners had to provide UID and delivery address on time, or forfeit prizes. Each UID could win only one prize per version, and only the highest prize would be awarded if multiple works won.

Rin spent nights in her room, reviewing Caesar's parry timing and Burnice's Nitro-Fuel mechanics. She took screenshots, annotated them, and wrote a step-by-step rotation. She submitted her guide under #Agent Guide#. She did not win Exceptional Proxy. She did not even win Senior Proxy. But she did earn a Rising Star Proxy slot, and with it 1,000 Polychromes, an acrylic stand, two badges, and the avatar frame. More importantly, she saw comments from other Proxies thanking her for explaining how to keep Caesar's shield uptime high during chaotic fights.

By 2026, Version 1.2 is a distant echo. Newer versions have introduced more Agents, more Hollows, and more elaborate events. Yet Rin still thinks about that contest. It taught her that a guide is more than a wall of text. It is a hand extended to another Proxy who is lost in the dark. The contest's emphasis on originality, clear formatting, and accurate facts became a standard she carries into every community post she writes. She also remembers the small print: participation authorized the Zenless Zone Zero team to use submissions for online promotion, with credit to the creator; personal information was used only for prize delivery; physical rewards could be substituted if inventory ran low; winners were responsible for local taxes and customs. Those details mattered, but they never overshadowed the joy of sharing.

In 2026, Rin sometimes opens her old guide and smiles. The avatar frame has long expired, but the knowledge remains. For any Proxy who wonders whether their guide matters, she offers a simple answer: yes. Whether the version is Tour de Inferno or whatever comes next, the community grows stronger when Proxies write, explain, and help one another. The Version 1.2 Strategy Guide Contest may be history, but its spirit is still live. 🎮✨